07-24-2007, 09:14 AM
yes, I think this makes a lot of sense.
Some of the incentive to come here is set up by the current market, and I also hear from people who have for many years planned to retire from Oahu to Hilo.
One of my research things I do when I look at property is look at who owns vacant lots adjacent to the one I might buy, reason being that I'm looking for signs of imminent construction next door (on a 15,000 foot lot that will be loud) ... and I always notice the owner's address -- in Hilo, the majority of the empty parcels I looked at had an owner with an Oahu address if not a Big Island address. Many were owned by trusts, and no doubt quite a few are investments, but still.
If one looks at Puna TMK's, many more mainland owners, except the vacant land that hasn't sold since the '90's often has an Oahu owner (if not a Hilo owner).
In the past I am aware from talking to people in Hilo that there was a bit of the opposite flow. For example, the family that built my kama'aina home in Hilo eventually sold it when the mother became elderly and wished to be on Oahu in proximity to better medical care and services.
I also think a lot of Hilo raised boys and girls who moved away to pursue jobs would like to come back. We had potential buyers for our house who were like that and had been in the military abroad and were now retiring.
We also had buyers from Maui looking. Hilo looks real good to some of the folks who are sick of the Maui prices and the Maui scene.
Oddly enough, our actual buyer was from lower Puna, but the object was to find a family home for family members who were renting and working in Hilo.
Some of the incentive to come here is set up by the current market, and I also hear from people who have for many years planned to retire from Oahu to Hilo.
One of my research things I do when I look at property is look at who owns vacant lots adjacent to the one I might buy, reason being that I'm looking for signs of imminent construction next door (on a 15,000 foot lot that will be loud) ... and I always notice the owner's address -- in Hilo, the majority of the empty parcels I looked at had an owner with an Oahu address if not a Big Island address. Many were owned by trusts, and no doubt quite a few are investments, but still.
If one looks at Puna TMK's, many more mainland owners, except the vacant land that hasn't sold since the '90's often has an Oahu owner (if not a Hilo owner).
In the past I am aware from talking to people in Hilo that there was a bit of the opposite flow. For example, the family that built my kama'aina home in Hilo eventually sold it when the mother became elderly and wished to be on Oahu in proximity to better medical care and services.
I also think a lot of Hilo raised boys and girls who moved away to pursue jobs would like to come back. We had potential buyers for our house who were like that and had been in the military abroad and were now retiring.
We also had buyers from Maui looking. Hilo looks real good to some of the folks who are sick of the Maui prices and the Maui scene.
Oddly enough, our actual buyer was from lower Puna, but the object was to find a family home for family members who were renting and working in Hilo.